NOTWITHSTANDING  the  terrible  war  and  the  fact  that  our  own  nation  has  been  compelled  to  enter 
it  during  the  past  year,  the  year  1917  has  been  one  of  great  encouragement  in  the  work  of  our  Foreign 
Mission  Society.  From  all  fields  have  come  reports  of  progress  and  the  encouraging  desire  on  the 
part  of  the  native  population  to  learn  more  about  Christ  and  his  claims  upon  the  life  of  humanity. 

Under  the  guidance  and  protection  and  with  the  unfailing  help  of  God.  the  missionaries  have  been  able 
to  achieve  heroic  tasks,  and  although  surrounded  by  discouraging  conditions,  handicapped  by  inadequate 
equipment  and  lack  of  reenforcements,  at  times  faced  with  real  opposition,  they  have  nevertheless  been  able 
to  witness  great  triumphs  of  the  Kingdom  in  the  non-Christian  world.  A  review  of  the  facts  given  on  the 
inside  pages  of  this  pamphlet  will  indicate  the  marvelous  progress  made,  not  only  during  the  past  year  but 
during  the  entire  period  in  which  American  Baptists  have  been  conducting  their  share  of  the  foreign  mission 
enterprise.  While  we  are  not  unmindful  of  the  dire  distress  occasioned  by  the  war  and  while  we  endeavor  to 
relieve  the  suffering  of  our  denominational  kinsmen  in  Europe,  we  are  nevertheless  profoundly  grateful  to 
God  for  his  manifest  favor  and  the  success  with  which  he  has  crowned  the  labors  of  the  missionaries  abroad. 


1918 


WHAT  are  the  prospects  of  the  future?  American  Baptists  within  the  next  five  years  will  witness 
the  greatest  foreign  mission  triumphs  in  the  history  of  the  denomination.  Doors  previously  closed 
are  being  opened  widely  to  the  heralds  of  the  Christian  message,  and  missionaries  are  reporting 
unprecedented  opportunities  in  Burma,  in  Japan,  in  China  and  other  fields.  In  order  to  take  advantage  of 
these  opportunities  but  two  things  are  necessary  —  the  united  intercession  of  God’s  people  and  the  adequate 
financial  support  of  the  work  to  be  done. 

Two  tremendous  tasks  arc  before  the  Christian  church  of  today,  namely,  the  Christian  construction  of 
the  non-Christian  world  and  the  Christian  reconstruction  of  Europe.  Because  of  the  unusual  situation  created 
by  the  war,  the  Foreign  Mission  Society,  in  order  to  meet  the  urgent  need  of  this  war  year  finds  it  necessary 
to  appeal  to  the  denomination  for  $213,947.00  more  than  was  received  from  churches  and  individuals  last 
year.  The  fiscal  year  closes  March  31,  1918.  With  the  infinite  resources  of  the  Kingdom  at  our  command, 
the  possibilities  before  us  are  illimitable.  Will  you  do  your  part? 

The  Foreign  Mission  Society  extends  to  all  friends  of  missions  the  greetings  of  the  new  year,  with  the 
hope  that  the  denomination  may  prosecute  more  vigorously,  more  faithfully,  more  loyally  the  mighty  missionary 
undertakings  which  God  has  committed  to  our  care. 


EVANGELISM 


In  our  10  mission  fields,  located  in  Burma,  Assam,  South  India,  Bengal-Orissa,  South  China, 
West  China,  East  China,  Belgian  Congo,  Japan,  and  the  Philippines,  there  are:  — 


Missionaries .  688  Church  Members .  183,505 

Native  workers .  6,673  Added  by  baptism  in  1916  .  .  9,977 

Churches .  1 ,732  Sunday  school  members  ....  89,544 

Self-supporting  churches  ....  1 ,027  Native  contributions  for  evange- 

Church  buildings .  2,286  listic  purposes .  $109,233 


Christian  education  is  the  natural  accompaniment  to  evangelism  and  our  mission  schools 
bring  thousands  of  non-Christians  under  Christian  influence.  We  have  altogether:  — 


Schools . 

2,602 

Seminary  students . 

1,019 

Self-supporting  schools  .... 

771 

College  students . 

189 

Colleges . 

6 

Total  number  enrolled  .... 

85,552 

Training  schools  and  seminaries 

29 

Pupils  baptized  in  1916  .... 

1,693 

Native  contributions .  $68, 1 96 


MEDICINE 


Medical  aid  wins  confidence  everywhere  and  opens  many  doors  that  would  ordinarily  be 
closed  to  missionaries.  In  this  phase  of  the  work  we  have:  — 


Hospitals .  21 

Dispensaries .  48 

Medical  missionaries .  51 

Native  assistants .  133 


Patients  treated  in  1916  .  .  .  .  83,391 

Total  number  of  treatments  .  .  288,871 

Receipts  in  fees  .  $29,084 

Expenses .  $22,469 


INDUSTRY 


leading  men  and  women  to  Christ  exists  the  need  of  pro- 
Hence  our  industrial  schools  teach:  — 


Along  with  the  necessity  of 
viding  means  of  self-support. 

In  Africa — brick  making,  building,  tailoring, 
typewriting. 

In  China  and  Japan  —  gardening,  lace- 
making,  towel-weaving. 


In  India  —  book-binding,  cane  work,  car¬ 
pentry,  iron  work,  tailoring. 

In  the  Philippines  —  building,  carpentry, 
engineering,  surveying. 


pOR  additional  literature  or  other  information  regarding  the 
work  of  the  American  Baptist  Foreign  Mission  Society,  write 
to  any  of  the  following : 


*r- 


].  The  District  Secretary  of  your  district. 

2.  Department  of  Missionary  Education,  23  East  26th  Street,  New  York  City. 

3.  Literature  Department,  Box  41,  Boston,  Mass. 


